


Cuddle

by Laramie



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Fandot Creativity, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-05 00:25:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16357085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laramie/pseuds/Laramie
Summary: Carolyn refuses to be spooked by the noise in the portakabin. Which is good, because it isn't remotely spooky.





	Cuddle

**Author's Note:**

> Written for fandot creativity night. Prompt: skeleton and/or cuddle.

There was a noise in the portakabin. Carolyn briefly considered being afraid - it was the week before halloween, and although she’d never admit it, her nerves were slightly frayed from Arthur’s many booby traps around the house. This morning, a plastic skeleton had been hanging from the shower when she pulled back the curtain. Anyway, this was certainly not anything supernatural in her office, and if it was, by God, it was going to pay for it.

Carolyn straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin, and marched into the office so forcefully that the door crashed against the wall. A pair of startled eyes met hers. A pair of startled, red-rimmed eyes. A pair of startled, red-rimmed eyes belonging to First Officer Douglas Richardson.

For a few moments, they just stared at each other, both too shocked to react. What on earth was Douglas doing here  _ early _ for once? What on earth was he doing  _ crying _ ?

Douglas broke the spell with a sudden sniff, before rapidly wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “Oh, morning Carolyn.” He had made a good attempt at his usual nonchalance, but there was a waver in his voice that was hard to miss.

Faced with something she didn’t understand, Carolyn put her hands on her hips and demanded an explanation. “What’s happening here, then?” she asked sharply.

“Oh, you know, just thought I’d come in early and get a head start on the paperwork,” Douglas replied, his head bent over a form, his pen not moving.

“You haven’t done paperwork in about four years,” Carolyn said. “If you wanted to come in early enough to get it done, you should have started last Tuesday.”

“Yes, well… There didn’t seem much point in stopping at home,” Douglas muttered.

Carolyn narrowed her eyes. Douglas rarely muttered anything. If he was going to say something, he wanted to make damn sure you heard and understood the wisdom he thought he had to bestow. “What happened?” she demanded again.

“Nothing, nothing…”

“Douglas, I will count to five… One… two… th-”

“Helena.”

“What about her?”

“She’s left me for a tai chi instructor,” Douglas finally explained, with a touch of his usual wry tone, though it seemed brittle.

“Ha!” Carolyn laughed before she could stop herself.

“Quite,” Douglas acknowledged gloomily. “Don’t tell Martin.”

“And why not? The boy seems to like you, heaven knows why.”

“It’s bad enough being a 56-year-old First Officer with two failed marriages; he doesn’t need to know it’s three.”

“That’s it then, is it?” Carolyn asked. “It’s over?”

The corners of Douglas’s mouth turned down. He nodded, once, then stood and gathered up the paperwork to put away.

“I see.” Carolyn said. She paused a moment, then strode over to her First Officer and wrapped her arms matter-of-factly around his torso.

Douglas started, then after a moment, the tension left his body in a long sigh. He put his arms around Carolyn. The sheets of paper brushed against the back of her coat. After a few seconds, he said quietly, “Thank you.”


End file.
